At the tail end of agreeing to terms with cornerback Vontae Davis, the Buffalo Bills have continued building up their free agent class of 2018. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Bills hosted running back Chris Ivory on a visit Monday. Ivory, who turns 30 in March, has been a productive timeshare running back for eight seasons, though he saw his usage and effectiveness dip after signing a five-year, $32.5 million contract with Jacksonville in 2016. Ivory was eventually replaced by rookie running back Leonard Fournette, which made him expendable.
Following the pattern established with Davis, Ivory was cut before free agency began. Thus, he doesn’t apply to the compensatory pick formula if the Bills were to sign him.
With Mike Tolbert, Taiwan Jones, and Travaris Cadet all scheduled to be free agents, the Bills need a player to back up LeSean McCoy next season. Ivory would be a way for them to add a solid runner with some power, and avoid breaking the bank in the process.